Audio Samples

Review

After the phenomenal success of The
Mummy, a sequel was developed, which eventually became The Mummy Returns. In that film, The Rock
had a small role as The Scorpion King, and a spin-off was planned - before the
sequel even came out. Suffice it to say, The
Mummy Returns was a box-office success, and The Scorpion King went forward, with
director Chuck Russell (The Mask,
Eraser) at the helm. While the
store was more like a Conan movie
than the style Stephen Sommers set forth in The
Mummy, The Scorpion King
knew that its target audience was different, given that its lead star was a
rather popular pro-wrestler. Composer John Debney and the producers focused on
that audience demographic, giving us a swashbuckling score of epic size and
proportions, with just the right blend of hard-rock to make every wrestling fan
feel right at home.

The opening track, "Boo!" is geared for just that fan.
Electric guitars and a hard rock groove kick off the CD, but the album quickly
turns towards the large orchestral sound that Debney does so well. People
hoping for something on the scale of Cutthroat
Island will not be disappointed; the "Main Titles" feature
a big choir and dramatic brass with plenty of percussion. There are softer
moments in the score, from the ethnic sounds of "Visions of Doom" to
the whimsical meandering in "Pickpockets", and even a bit of romance
in "I Had A Vision".

But it is really the action that makes this score great, and there is
no shortage of it here. Beginning with "Valley of the Dead", your
heart will start to pick up the page. You think you have a bit of a break with
"The Cave" and "Mathyus Arises", but the tension is really
just starting to increase. "Balthazar's Camp" is a searing action
cue running a little over 5-minutes in length, and Debney gives the orchestra a
bit of a workout - but it's just a hint of things to come. Three cues in a row
provide unending action: "I've Come For The Woman", "Die Well
Assassin", and "Balthazar Arrives". It's a solid ten minutes of
action that will literally wear you out, so keep the lemonade handy. Wrapping
off the album is the denouement in "The Scorpion King", a rather
upbeat and uplifting cue that belies the truth about that character that we
find out in The Mummy Returns.

Running about 40-minutes in length, there is plenty of music here to
satisfy the average soundtrack listener, although some Debney fans will no
doubt be wondering where the remaining music is. Still, this one makes a fine
companion piece to Debney's other works, and any fan of big orchestral action
(and some hard rock) will be sure to enjoy it.